Starting mechanism for gas-engines.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. P. SOHWEHM. STARTING MEflHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 1, 1906.

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15.884519 PATENTBD APR.14, 190s;

P. SOHWEHM. k

STARTING MECHANISM FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l, 1906.

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I To all whom it may coacemr Be it known that 1, PETER UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, PETER SGHWEHM, OF HANOVER, GERMANY.

STARTING MECHANISM FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application am w ll 1. mos. Serial No. 803,581.

mechanism for starting a gas engine more particularly when the same is under a load.

- In the accompanying drawing: Figure l'is a diagrammatic view, showing the gas tanks,

' air tanks and connecting parts; Fig. 2 a diagrammatic plan, showin the arrangement of the tanks, on a reduced scale, Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the check-valve, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showin my improved starting mechanism applie to a gas e me. a

he numerals 5, 6, indicate the tanks for .charge-air, while 7, 8, indicate the tanks for pump, (not shown), W

charge-gas. .The air tanks 5, .6, receive airunder pressure by pipe 9 from a suitable ile gas tanks 7, 8, ref

celve gas under pressure by pipe 10 from a gas pump. Cylinders 5 and 7 communicate y ipes 11 and 12, respectively, with the wor 'ng cylinder of the gas engine. For

starting theengine, an auxiliary tank 13 is provided that receives air under pressure through pipe 14. A ipe 15 controlled by nose 27 adapte 'enced catch28.

valve 16'connectstan 13 with the gas engine. Tanks 5 and 6 communicate with each otherby a pipe 17 controlled by a check valve 18, while. tanks 7 and 8 communicate with each other by a pipe 19 controlled by check-valve 20. As valves 18 and 20 are of the same construction, valve 18 only is shown 'indetail; the description of this valve also,

applying to valve 20. A valve-disk 21 is secured toa vertical spindle 22, to the lower endof which ,a iston 23 is secured. The

latter is inclose in acylinder'2gl that by branch 25 hav1 valve 26 communicates with pipe -15. ipindle 22 isprovided with a tog'engage a spring-influ- A ivotall .connected to cylind'er 24. Catch 28, is. y' rod 29, bell-crank 30, rod 31and bell-crank 32, operatively connected to the supply valve 33 of pipe 11,

a collar 34 on valve-spmdle 35, being adapted to engage the free arm of bell-crank 32. In the modification shown in Fig. .3, valve-disk 21 is raised by means of a solenoid 37 connected by wires 38, 39, to a 'suitable source of electricity.

llnEig: 4, a gas. engine '1, is represented which is'providedywith my improved start.- lng mechanism, the tanks 7 an 8 being here shown above tanks 5 and .6 respectively, for

the sake ofgreater clear-nose. So also the valve-disks 21of valves18-and 20 are mounted on a common. -spindle 22, so that both valves will be operated simultaneously; For

entering the engine will cause the latter to slowly rotate and simultaneously 0 eratethe air pump 2 and gas pump 3, whic are connected to the engine by rod 4. During this operation the large tanks 6 and 8 are separated by closed valves 18 and 20 from the small tanks 5 and 7 respectively. In this way power andtime is economized, as the small tanks only are char ed while running the engine with compresse air from tank 13. After the pressure in tanks 5 and 7 is sufficiently high, the igniter, (not shown), is started and valves 33 and 37 of the gas pipe 12 and air pipe 11 are 0 ened, while back pressure'valves 38"-are he d closed. When the engine has attained its normal number of revolutions, tanks 6 and 8 are connected to tanks 5 and 7 by gradually opening valve 26 of pi e 15. In time way air under pressure is admitted to cylinder 24 beneath-plston 23 to gradually open valves 18 and 20. By opening these valves slowly, a sudden reduction in pressure'is prevented, while theair and gas flow into large tanks 6 and 8 respectively. After valves 18 and 20 have beenfully opened, catch28 will engage nose 27 of spindle 22, to maintain the valves in their open position, even after valve 26 has been closed. i

For stopping the machine, valves 33 and 37 are closed by rotating a hand wheel 39 operably connected to both valves. During this operation disk 34, in moving downwards, will tiltlever 32 tooorrespondingly 13 to engine'l,

tiltlever 30 and withdraw catch 28 from nose 27. In this way springs 36 acting upon the disks of valves 18 and 20 will close the latter to automatically separate tanks 6 and 8 from tanks 5 and 7 respectively. After valves 33 and 37 have been closed, the engine will continue to rotate for a short time owingto its tively, valves 18 and acting as back pres sure valves.

In this way air andgas under a higher pressure than normal will be stored in tanks 6. and 8 after the engine has come to This air and gas under high ing separate tank pairs for air and gas, a

double tank for the mixed charge may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will be seen that tanks 5, 6 and 7, 8, when coupled, will store a large quantity of air and gas during the operation of the engine, so that the charge pressure may be maintained almost constant with varying loads. By subdividing the tanks into smaller and larger ones, a quick startin of the engine is effected, as only the smal tanks need be. charged with air and gas under pressure. Furthermore, by interposing valves between the differently sized tanks, which valves act as back pressure valves, the larger tanks may be charged with air and gas under an excessive pressure during the" gradual stopping of the engine. By using this excessive pressure,

the engine may subsequently be re-started' under oad.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a reciprocatin gas engine, and a pump, combined with st and second charge tanks, 9,

pipe connecting the pump with the first tank, means for connecting said first tank to the engine, a pipe connecting the first and second. tanks, a spring-closed valve controlling said pipe, and means for maintaining the valve open during the normal run of the engine against the action of the spring, substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of chargetanks, means for establishing communication between said tanks, a checkvalve controlling such communication, a sec-' ond valve controlling the discharge of one of said tanks, and means for 0 eratively connecting the second valve Wlth' the checkvalve, substantially as s ecified.

3. In a device of the c aracter pair of charge tanks, means for establishing communicatlon between said tanks, a check valve controlling such communication, a third tank having a discharge pipe, a valve controlling said pipe, and means controlled by saidvalve for opening the check-valve, substantially as specified.

, 4. In a device of the character described, a pair of charge tanks, means for establishing cornmunicatlon between said tanks,'a checkvalvecontrolling such communication, and means for maintaining the check-valve in its open position during the operation of the engme, substantially as specified.

me at Hanover, Germany, this I Signed b 13th day 0 February, 1906.

PETER SCHWEHM. Witnesses:

' LEONORE RAsoH, ANNA DIPPEL.

described, a I 

